Rescue
by The Sarcastic Polar Bear
Summary: Her vision blurred, eclipsed by her field of tears. How could this have happened? She had let herself get too close again. All she had ever wanted was a child, and as soon as she had one, he was stolen from her. Postep for Rescue.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Did anyone else get so sad after Rescue? Dick Wolf's such a jerk, leaving us like that and making us wait so long. Poor Liv needs a family, and even though so many people have done this already,here is my postep for Rescue. Everything until the chapter break is the ending scene. I own nobody at all. And the same rule applies to this story that applies to all mine- El and Kathy are divorced, Eli no existy! Haha.**

"Vivian! Vivian, you did this! You talked to David, you're the one who's shipping him off to Vermont." Hurt accusation lingered in Olivia Benson's voice.

"I'm doing it because it's the best thing for _him_," Vivian Arliss shot back. "And_ I'm_ his mom."

"It was always temporary," Elliot whispered into her ear, not loosening his grip, the only thing preventing her from lunging at Vivian.

"Come on, son," coaxed the social worker, pulling Calvin away.

"No! I don't wanna go anywhere!" Calvin cried, launching himself out of the man's grasp and into Olivia's arms. She pulled him close, closing her eyes. "Olivia, don't let them take me! I'll do anything, please!"

"It's okay," Olivia whispered, her voice faltering as she rested her chin on the child's head. It wasn't okay. It was far from okay. It was anything _but_ okay.

"We gotta go," Vivian interrupted, grabbing Calvin's shoulder.

"No," he whimpered, clinging to Olivia even tighter.

"Let him go!" Vivian yelled, yanking her son out of Olivia's arms. "Let him go!"

"Olivia!" he cried.

"It's okay, Calvin," Olivia whispered, feeling hot tears spring to her eyes.

"Olivia! Olivia! Please don't let them take me! Olivia!" Calvin's screams rang out as he was dragged away from her.

Her vision blurred, eclipsed by her field of tears. How could this have happened? She had let herself get too close again. All she had ever wanted was a child, and as soon as she had one, he was stolen from her. She had merely known him for a short time, but she had grown so attached to him.

And now she had lost him. Her lip quavered as she tried not to cry. She couldn't cry, not here, not in front of Elliot.

Her heart split in two. Her chances of being a mother were shattered. Why was it that every time she found some happiness in her life, it was taken in the blink of an eye?

She knew she could fight for custody, but what judge would grant her custody of a child she barely knew? Calvin would be sent to Vermont with his grandparents, and she would never see him again.

She didn't want to hate Vivian, but her crushed emotions dragged her into a fiery world of hate that she couldn't seem to escape. Anger and hurt swelled up inside her, and she didn't know which she felt more.

EO-EO-EO

Elliot sighed to himself. Olivia had walked away the second he reached to touch her in hope of instilling comfort into her. He too grieved for the scenario, he knew how much his partner wanted to be a part of a family.

He tried calling her- no answer. "Liv, it's me. I just wanted to know if you're okay. I'll come by later." And by later, he meant right away.

His instincts told him to call Kathy, but his true feelings told him not to. He needed to talk to Olivia. She needed somebody.

He let out a deep breath before knocking his knuckles against her door. A thought crossed his mind. Why was he knocking? He had a key, and she wasn't going to answer. It was the Olivia way, she would shut everybody out, including him.

He fished the key out of his pocket and stuck it into the keyhole, turning it with a flick of his wrist. He gently pushed the door closed after stepping inside. "Liv?"

Olivia didn't answer, she merely sat in icy silence on her sofa, her eyes fixed upon the painting Calvin had drawn for her. The signature- Calvin Benson, stuck itself in her mind. Not Calvin Arliss, Calvin _Benson._

Elliot sat next to her and peered over her shoulder, not making a sound. There was no need for words- she was going to let him in.

It was Olivia who shattered the eerie silence. "He said he signed it that way because I rescued him." Her voice sounded so broken, hoarse and distraught.

"You did," Elliot said softly, resting his hand on her shoulder. Olivia finally looked into his eyes, and his heart shattered into a thousand irreparable pieces. Her deep brown eyes were rimmed in red, and dried tears stained her cheeks.

"I let them take him. I didn't do anything to stop it."

"There's nothing you could have done," he whispered. Olivia looked down at her lap, feeling another wave of tears swim in her eyes.

"Vivian told me that Calvin could my little boy forever. She said I deserved him." Her voice was but a faint, shattered whisper.

The words replayed in his mind as he remembered walking into that abandoned building to see Olivia and a drunken, sobbing Vivian standing amid the destruction, with Vivian pleading that Olivia make a decision.

"You do, Liv, You deserve a family, not this." It was true. His best friend deserved so much more than this. What she deserved was to be happy.

"I'm never going to have a family, El."

Her words shattered his heart. How could she not see that she _did _have a family? She had him. He gently began to rub her shoulder. "You've got me," he murmured.

How could he say that? He would never feel the way for her that she felt for him. He had just recently divorced Kathy, and there was no way he'd chose her.

But she did have him. "I know," she said softly. Her eyes slid shut, and everything she could hear was drowned by the replaying of Calvin screaming her name over and over. She tried to bring herself back to reality, but no matter what she tried to think, no matter what she tried to hear- it was all chased away.

She let a sigh escape her mouth. Why did these things always happen to her? A new voice made its way into her head- Elliot whispering that it was always temporary. She had always known that, but she had let herself get close, and now his words whispered in her head over and over, like a broken record.

"It's gonna be alright," he assured, trying to instill strength into her. She shook her head. How was it going to be alright?

She shuddered, letting out a trembling breath. A new wave of tears sprung to her eyes, and without a second thought, Elliot reached toward her and gathered her into his arms.

She surprised both of them by letting him hold her. She took him aback by slipping her arms around him. Neither of them spoke. They didn't need to. They just embraced each other, and she buried her face into his shoulder, allowing silent tears to escape.

The clock ticked as they sat in silence. They let go after five minutes, and chocolate brown eyes met cerulean blue.

"Thanks, El," she whispered, reaching for a tissue and dabbing at her eyes. She pulled away and fixed her gaze on the wall. She was exhausted. She tried to stifle a yawn, and failed.

Elliot stood up. "You need rest," he said. Olivia shook her head. "Liv, you've had a hard day. You need to go to bed."

Olivia yawned again, too tired to argue, and lay down on the couch.

"Honey, you should really get in bed," he urged gently. "You can't get a good night's rest on the couch."

"I don't want to," she murmured. Realization struck her. Had he really called her "honey"? He had never called her that before, and under the circumstances, it seemed perfectly natural.

Elliot sighed softly and grabbed a blanket, pulling it over her. "Alright. Just get some sleep." He hesitated before smoothing her hair back. "Good night."

"Night," she mumbled, curling up under the blanket. Elliot crept toward the door and opened it quietly, not wanting to disturb her. He leaned in the doorway, staring at his partner's slumbering form for several long seconds before he closed the door, locking it behind him.

Olivia snuggled deeper into the couch, which has practically become her bed. She had given Calvin her bedroom, and the thought of sleeping there brought too much pain. Why had she let herself get so close again? It was the way she was- she always got too involved, and it always wound up with her getting hurt. And now that she had finally let Elliot in, she didn't know if she could push him away again.

**Well, aww. Review. Want more? Or do you like it as a oneshot? I may add more.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ohhh, 17 reviews! Not bad, not bad at all! I updated this awful fast. It's short, but consider how fast I did it. I own nobody still! Maybe when I hit 60 stories...**

Olivia forced herself to open her eyes in the morning. She blinked. Something seemed different. She tried to remember what it was, then the memories all came back. Calvin being dragged away from her, his screams and sobs shattering the air.

She let out a heavy sigh, the loneliness that lingered in the air already overwhelming her. She had already grown so used to having Calvin around, and now she was alone again.

Her heart seemed that it had stopped beating, and it felt heavier than it had in a long time. Another shaky breath escaped her mouth as she shuffled into the bathroom and washed her face, trying to snap out of her miserable trance.

Nothing seemed to work, no matter what she did, she felt terrible. A part of her told her to take a day off, but her loyalty to her job told her to go. She kicked herself.

_Get it together, Olivia, _she commanded. _Stop being so damn self-centered and get your ass to the precinct. _

But it didn't matter what she tried to tell herself. She didn't know if she could ever get over this.

EO-EO-EO

Elliot looked up as his partner entered the squadroom noticeably later than usual. He sighed quietly in relief, knowing that she was never late.

His relief was quickly drowned by the worry that overpowered it. Olivia's shoulders slumped, and her feet dragged as she walked.

"You didn't have to come into work today," he said softly. "I would have covered for you." Olivia shrugged and absently fixed a cup of coffee.

"I had to come," she said simply, sitting wearily at her desk and taking a long sip of her coffee. She rested her chin in her hand, closing her eyes.

"No, you didn't." His voice was soft and soothing."You could have called in sick. You need to take some time off."

"I'll be alright," she lied. She stared into her coffee cup, not breaking her gaze. Elliot rested his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it comfortingly.

"Liv," he whispered. "Just go home." She shook her head in protest, and he sighed, knowing full well that she wasn't going to listen to him.

She absentmindedly twirled her coffee stirrer. "I'm gonna be okay," she repeated, lying right through her teeth. Elliot patted her shoulder one last time before leaning back into his seat.

She wasn't going to be okay. They both knew it. "I guess I can't force you. But I still think you should take some time off. You have plenty of sick and vacation days."

"I don't need to," she argued, tiredly running her fingers through her hair. She covered her face with her hands and sighed. "I really don't, El." Her voice cracked, but he let it go, knowing that she was never going to admit that he was right.

"Like I said, I'm not going to force you." Elliot fought the urge to pull her into his arms again. As partners, they had always resisted personal touches other than the occasional hand on the back or shoulder, and now they they had broken the touch barrier, he realized that he couldn't stop himself from wanting to hold her close.

Olivia chided herself. Why couldn't she just listen to him? She knew that he was right, she needed some time for herself, but she didn't want to listen. She blinked against the tears that swam in her eyes. She wasn't about to cry in front of Elliot again.

As they sat in a cafeteria for lunch, Elliot noticed how much Olivia had changed overnight. She picked at her food and barely spoke a word to him. "Liv, you okay?" he asked, knowing that she would say yes. She forced a nod and ate a small bite of salad.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. She rested her head on her hand and looked into Elliot's eyes, trying to convince him to believe something that she herself didn't believe.

EO-EO-EO

That night, as she walked into her apartment, she turned to face her partner. "Elliot, you really don't need to stay. I told you I'm okay."

"I know. I just want to make sure." He casually leaned against the counter as Olivia locked the door behind her.

"Do you want anything to drink?" she asked, opening the refrigerator door. Elliot shook his head while Olivia opened a bottle of water and took a long drink of it.

She sat down heavily on the sofa, once again fixing her gaze on the painting Calvin had drawn. Every time she looked at it, she found that it became harder and harder to tear her eyes away every single time.

He took a seat next to her, following her gaze. He took a deep breath before speaking. "I know it's hard, Liv, but you can get through this."

Olivia looked down and closed her eyes. "I don't know," she murmured. "I don't know if I can." She opened her eyes and shuddered. "You're right. I'm not okay."

Elliot slid closer to her and rubbed soothing circles on her back. "I know," he mumbled. "But I'm here for you."

"I know you are." She forced a smile. "Thanks." She leaned back against the sofa, twisting the cap of her water bottle back and forth in her hand.

"I'm still trying to get over not seeing my kids as often as I'd like," he said. Olivia blinked, realizing that Elliot really and truly felt her pain.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, resting her hand over his.

Elliot shrugged. "Not your fault that Kathy demanded full custody and never lets me see them." He intertwined his fingers with hers, amazed at how perfectly their hands fit together.

Olivia looked around. "I'm already noticing how quiet it is now. It didn't take me long to get used to having Calvin around. And now I don't know if I can get used to being on my own again."

_How can she think that? _Elliot thought. _She's never gonna be alone, I'm standing by her._

"El, I'm glad you're doing this," she said. "Being here for me. I know I need it, but you know how I am." He cracked a smile.

"Yeah, I do." He ran his thumb over her knuckles. "For better or for worse, I know how you are. Stubborn as hell."

She mock-glared at him. "Thanks," she scoffed. She smirked. "You're just as stubborn as I am." She turned around to face him.

"I know," he calmly confessed. He stole a glance at the clock. "I better go." He stood up from the sofa, Olivia following suit.

He leaned in the doorway, staring at her. "Good night," he whispered, too lost in her deep brown orbs to find words.

"Night," she echoed. She didn't pull her gaze away from him. Some unknown force wouldn't allow her to take her eyes off of him.

Everything after that was a blur, for at that very moment, she leaned in, and crashed her lips against his. Her eyes slid shut as he wrapped his brawny arms around her slender waist.

Why was she doing this? He was her partner, her best friend. To her, he was more than that. But did he feel this way about her?

He deepened this kiss and pulled her closer to his chest, feeling her warmth radiate his entire body, tingling his spine with a sensation that he had never felt before. Was this really happening?

Olivia pressed herself against him, not breaking their liplock. She was amazed at how well their bodies fit together, like matching pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

**Want more? Oh, do ya? Then I suggest you hit that pretty button down there! It takes you to this awesome little white box, and you can do this act called reviewing! All you do is type a review and hit submit, and I can read it! And I'll update! Isn't that awesome? Oh, and you can follow me on twitter at House3051, because I suck at remembering to mention that.**


	3. Chapter 3

**New chapter, thanks for all the reviews. You guys are all amazing! I don't own anything or anybody.**

Olivia slowly pulled away, wondering if the kiss had been real. "Well, that was... nice," she whispered.

"Yep. It was nice," Elliot whispered. Olivia looked directly into his eyes, losing herself in his baby blue irises.

"I guess I'll see you later," she said softly, biting her lip. He nodded slightly, unsure of what to say, not daring to say anything. Had they been right, or had they done something to damage their friendship? They had both agreed that it was nice, but he wouldn't be able to handle it if their friendship shattered to pieces.

"See you," he echoed, stepping out of her apartment, staring into space, still amazed by what just happened.

Olivia leaned her back against the closed door, her mouth dropping in shock. A piece of her felt as if she were in a dream, yet another felt truly real. And if it was a dream, she didn't want to wake up.

She wearily dropped onto the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. Her eyes begged her to close them, weariness engulfing her. She refused to give in, and thoughts raced about in her mind, some bad, some good.

She had lost Calvin, and that was one of the worst things that had happened to her. But she had kissed Elliot. Was it a good thing, or was it for the worst?

A heavy yawn escaped her mouth. She allowed her eyes to close, and her world was soon swallowed by sleep. Not that it was peaceful. All she could dream was the constant replaying of Calvin being torn away from her, his screams echoing in her mind.

Why did it have to be this way? She couldn't clear her mind of anything, and thoughts drowned each other out. She tossed and turned on the sofa, groaning softly in her restless slumber.

All she wanted was for everything to be alright for once in her life. She hated to feel sorry for herself, it made her feel terrible. But every single time something brought a spark into her life, it was always taken away from her.

She had lived her entire life in solitude, no man would put up with her long enough to have children with her, and she never let anybody see into her. She never wanted her heart to break, but it had been shattered countless times. The only person that had ever seen the softer side of her was Elliot. She didn't trust anybody else to see inside her soul.

EO-EO-EO

Elliot took a deep breath before knocking on the door to his old home. He was rubbing his hands together, wondering what he should do, when the door opened.

"Hi, Dad!" Lizzie hugged him, excited to see her father. Elliot stepped into the house after her, shutting the door behind her.

"Hey, sweetheart." He pulled her into a hug. "Where's your mom? I need to talk to her." A look of worry passed over his youngest daughter's face.

"Is everything okay?" she wondered. Elliot smiled and nodded softly. Lizzie raced out of the room, and a few moments later, Kathy entered.

"Elliot, it's nearly ten," she muttered. "What do you want?" Her voice was cold with accusation. Elliot hesitated and leaned against the counter. He checked to make sure that the twins were out of earshot before he spoke.

"I want more time with the kids."

"Elliot, you get them every other weekend."

"I know, but I miss them, Kath," he argued quietly. "Every other weekend just isn't enough."

"Well, what do you want?" she hissed. "I can't let them come every weekend." She made a face before continuing. "How about you get them once a week in addition to every other weekend?"

Elliot sighed in relief, thankful that they had avoided a yelling match. "Thanks. It really means a lot. I miss seeing them."

Kathy bit her lip. "They miss you, too," she whispered, pulling her bathrobe tighter around her body. "I'll work something out."

Elliot nodded, now at a loss for words. "I guess I'll head on out." Kathy followed him to the door.

"Found anyone else yet?"

Her question took him aback, and he blushed. He had no intention of telling her of the kiss he had shared with Olivia. It would only set off a fight. "Not yet."

Kathy couldn't help but feel relieved. They were divorced, but a piece of her would never stop loving this man. She had found a new man, but Elliot was the father of her kids, and nothing would change that. "Goodbye, Elliot. I'll call you when the kids are free."

"Okay. I'll see you around." He left, shutting the door behind him. He walked to his car and sat in the driver's seat.. But he didn't drive away just yet. He simply sat, staring into space, lost in his train of thought that Kathy's simple question had provoked.

Were he and Olivia a couple now? Or were they just going to forget it as if nothing had ever happened and continue to be friends? He secretly longed for the first, but he had no clue what was going on in Olivia's mind.

All he knew was that she still hurting inside, and he didn't know if he would be able to repair her.

EO-EO-EO

Olivia lay on the couch in the dark, her eyelids drooping, pleading her to close them and allow herself to return to sleep.

She had woken up in a cold sweat, panting for breath, unable to shut out the vision of Calvin being taken away from her. She reached for the painting, and fixed her eyes on it. Though she could barely see it in the dark, she traced her finger along his signature.

"Calvin Benson," she whispered. The name repeated itself in her mind, echoing over and over. Realization dawned on her, and she realized just how right Elliot had been when he worried that she was getting too attached. She had known it all along, but she wanted to cling onto the one joy in her life.

She thought about downing a drink, but mentally chided herself for her thoughts She wasn't about to let herself drink the pain away like her mother had. And it wasn't going to work, the hurt emotions would all come back.

She yawned softly and closed her eyes, allowing a restless sleep to eclipse her world once again.

EO-EO-EO

Elliot was surprised when he entered work to see his partner at her desk. "I thought you were taking some time off."

"I don't have anything else to do, and work's more important than my issues," Olivia said, not meeting his eyes.

Elliot sighed and gently grabbed her hand to stop her from grabbing a file. "Liv, go home," he said firmly. "You need rest and some time for you. You don't need to work, I can handle it on my own for a while."

"I need to work," Olivia argued. "What else am I gonna do? My place is empty." In the short time she had known Calvin, she had grown accustomed to having a child in the house, having somebody to talk to and laugh with. But now she was alone again, and she always would be.

Elliot flashed a small smile. "Come to mine later this week. Dickie and Lizzie will make you like the quiet." Olivia forced herself to smile.

"I used to like the quiet. Then I just got used to having someone other than just me in the apartment." She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair, finally making eye contact with her partner. Or was he more than that now?

"It's gonna take a while to get used to the quiet, Liv."

"I know. But you were around your kids for years, and you weren't just some total stranger getting attached to a child you hardly knew."

Elliot bit his lip, trying to think of something to say to comfort her. "Just let me take you home," he pleaded. "You don't need to be working until you have some time to..."

"I won't get over it," Olivia whispered, reluctantly standing up and slipping into her jacket. "At least not for a while." She slowly followed her partner out of the precinct and climbed into the front passenger seat of his car.

Elliot glanced at her as he started the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. "You wanna talk about last night?"

Olivia blinked and looked down. "I don't know what we should do," she mumbled, looking up to meet his eyes.

"Do you _want_ a relationship?" Elliot asked, fearing her answer.

"I do," she whispered. "But not right now. I just... need to handle some things. And it's too soon for you after Kathy."

Why was she doing this? Ever since she mad met him, she wanted to be with him, she wanted to be his. And now she was making him wait. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, looking away.

"Hey," he whispered, resting his hand on her thigh, causing her entire body to tingle. "It's alright." He wished he had taken a step sooner, and maybe they could have been together a long time, and all of his mistakes with Kathy would have never been made.

Olivia started to speak, but she was cut off by the unmistakable sound of metal against metal, and everything went black.

**Oh no! I actually think I'll go easy on them and not give one of them some lifelong injury. But who hit them? Who, oh who? Review to find out. Can you give me 20 reviews?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, people! This is a shorter chapter, but deal with it. Do I owny anyone or anything? Let me think... no. If I did, why on earth would I be posting my stories online? Yeah. Read. Please. I notice I had a review decrease last time! Why, oh why? **

Olivia groaned softly, hearing a steady beeping sound. She opened her eyes and blinked, staring at the blank white wall before her. Why was she in a hospital?

A wave of memories drifted back to her. The last thing she recalled was the sound of another vehicle striking them, and then everything had been eclipsed by darkness.

She shifted in bed, finding that she had no obvious injuries other than the bandage on her left wrist. At that moment, a redheaded doctor wandered into the hospital room.

"Nice to see you awake, Ms. Benson." She smiled widely.

"Detective," Olivia corrected politely. "Is my partner alright? Elliot Stabler."

"Detective Stabler is perfectly fine. You two are lucky it wasn't worse." Olivia let out a relieved sigh as the nurse checked her vitals.

"When can we get out of here?"

"Since neither of you suffered any major injuries, we can let you out today. Just take it easy for a while." The doctor removed the IV from the brunette's right arm. Olivia rubbed the spot where the needle had been inserted and sat up, stretching her stiff muscles.

By the time she was dressed and standing in the lobby, Elliot was waiting for her. "You alright?" He asked, worry evident in his cerulean blue eyes. She nodded and rolled her eyes.

"You worry too much, you know?" She buttoned up her jacket. Elliot followed her outside of the hospital. He found the rental car that Cragen had supplied them with and climbed into the drivers seat.

"I wonder if they caught the son of a bitch that hit us?" Olivia asked as she fasted her seatbelt. Elliot shrugged and pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

"When Captain came by, he said that there wasn't another vehicle on sight," he sighed. "He told me that our car was totaled. They're still trying to find out who it was."

He parked in front of a coffee shop. "Wanna grab a bite to eat?" he offered. Olivia gave him a shrug in response and climbed out of the car.

EO-EO-EO

Olivia combed her fingers through her dark hair and rubbed her sore shoulder. She was leaning against her counter, once again unable to tear her eyes away from the painting from Calvin. She had mounted it on the fridge. The picture was a silent reminder of his presence. As painful as the thoughts it instilled into her mind, a dash of happiness mingled with the heartbreak.

She opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. A small piece of her told her to pour a glass of wine. But she fought against it. She wasn't about to drink it all away.

Her eyes slid shut as she lost herself in thought. Why had she kissed Elliot? She truly wanted a relationship with him, but she had too much to deal with right now.

_I was vulnerable, _she thought. _It didn't mean anything to both of us. Or did it?_

To her, it meant more than anything. But did Elliot truly feel the way that she felt?She tried to clear her mind, but all she could think about were thoughts of Calvin being torn away, mingled with fears of her friendship with Elliot falling to pieces because of one small kiss.

The clock chimed eleven o clock, and by her newly found instinct, she opened her mouth to call out for Calvin to get ready for bed, but she sighed, still finding it hard to grow accustomed to being alone again.

She walked into the bathroom and peeled her clothes off, stepping into the shower. She turned the knob and allowed the hot water to wash over her body. Warm steam welled up around her. Ever since she had lost Calvin, she had resorted to cold showers to coordinate her cold feelings. The warm water somehow soothed her.

She finally stepped out of the shower, shivering as she ventured out of the warmth and into the cold air. She chided herself for not turning on the radiator. She quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her slender frame.

By the time she had dressed into pajama pants and a tank top, she heard a knock on her door. She grabbed her gun by instinct and peered out the peephole, sighing in relief when she saw Elliot.

"El, what are you doing here?" She opened the door and allowed him to step past her. She brushed a strand of her wet brown hair behind her ear. "It's eleven thirty."

Elliot shrugged. "I knew you'd be up." Olivia blushed slightly. He knew her so well. She gestured to the fridge, silently offering him a drink. The thought of that wine bottle returned to her, and she tried to push it out of her mind. He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

_No, Olivia, you will** not **drink to deal with this, _she thought. _Your mother drank away all her problems, and she wound up dying. _

Elliot looked at his partner, concern evident in his baby blue eyes. "Liv, you alright?" No answer. "Liv?" Olivia shook her head, snapping into reality.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered. "I was just... thinking." Elliot patted her on the shoulder. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"Liv, I really want you to take some time off. You've been under a lot of stress. And I mean more than ten hours off." Olivia opened her mouth to protest, but he shook his head softly.

"El, I don't need-" He cut her off.

"Yeah, Liv," he whispered gently. "You do." He placed his hands on her shoulder and guided her to the sofa, forcing her to sit down. "And you need rest. You can't keep going on less than four hours of sleep every night. It isn't good for you."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Since when have you been a doctor?" Elliot chuckled softly and sat down beside her.

"I just want you to take it easy. I don't want you to get hurt, that's all." He watched as Olivia stole another glance at the fridge, and he immediately knew that she was thinking of the bottle of wine.

Olivia caught him staring at her. "I'm not drinking it," she whispered. "I was just thinking." Elliot gently touched her thigh. She briefly looked into his eyes. She looked so miserable.

She forced a smile. "Really, El, I'm okay." For the first time, she saw the small paper in her partner's hand. "What's that?"

Elliot, suddenly remembering why he had come in the first place, scanned over the photo. "A camera from an apartment got this. They saw the guy who hit us."

"Who is it?" Olivia asked, reaching for the photograph. Elliot held it tightly, terrified of what her reaction would be.

"It was Calvin's dad," he said softly. "He made bail." Olivia's eyes widened. She managed to pry the photo out of Elliot's hands, and was at a loss for words as she gazed at it.

"El," she whispered. "Why does he have Calvin?"

**OH MY FREAKIN' GOD! WHY DOES HE HAVE CALVIN? SOMEONE TELL ME! PLEASE! Wait, I know. Hehe. Hey! No need to call the crazy shack! And you can pelt me with whatever you want. Or smack me. 20 reviews, as you lovely people usually do?**


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